Milk Carton Chimney Christmas Countdown Craft

A DIY Christmas Countdown Toy Every December

This has officially become our family tradition – to create a fun Christmas Countdown toy every December! To save myself from answering this question “When is Christmas Day?” 12637 times a day and for my kids to have fun counting down to their favorite holiday. I really can’t claim credit to this idea, I saw this toy selling at Target but why buy it when I can make it with things I have at home?

How fun is this countdown activity? Have your kid pull out a popsicle stick each day and watch Santa move down the chimney and finally reach your fireplace on Christmas Day!

What you need

• 25 6″ jumbo popsicle sticks
• 2 milk cartons
• A small Santa cutout (around 2″ tall)
• Red and green construction papers
• Hot glue
• Duplo blocks to make a cube
• Stationery like permanent marker, penknife, a pair of scissors, double-sided tape/ glue, ruler
• A cardboard base

LET’S MAKE THIS COUNTDOWN Toy!

I have a video tutorial here or simply follow the steps below.

• Cut off the top part of the milk cartons.

• Draw a line 1″ from both edges of one side of a milk carton. Cut along the lines and remove the center piece. Repeat this step for the second milk carton.

• Using hot glue, stick both milk cartons (open tops together) together to form a long column.

• With the open column facing you, turn to the right of the column, draw a center line and 25 small lines down the center line, each 0.5″ apart.

• With the open column facing you, turn to the left of the column and repeat above step.
• Using a sharp penknife, make small slits on the 25 small lines on both sides of the column. The slits must be be enough for a jumbo popsicle stick to go through.
• Enlarge the slits by pushing two jumbo popsicle sticks into each slit. This makes it easier for the children to pull each popsicle stick out.

• Cut 25 small green rectangles, each 0.5″ by 1″ in size. Fold each small rectangle in half and write numbers 1 to 25 on them. Keep the numbers to one side of the rectangles.
• Using glue/ double-sided tape, attach each small green rectangle on the end of a popsicle stick, with the numbers hanging down.

• Cut 4 strips of red tape each 1″ thick. Paste them on the milk carton columns, where there is an opening. Draw lines to make the column look like a chimney.
• Cut and draw a fireplace (2.5″ tall). Paste it at the bottom of the chimney.

• Make a cube with the Duplo blocks and stick the small Santa cutout on it.
• Cut a hole at the top of the column, the hole must be big enough for the Duplo cube to fit in.
• Using hot glue, secure the chimney on the cardboard base.
• Now insert the popsicle sticks through the slits, beginning with 1 at the top to 25 at the bottom. The popsicle stick with 25 should end up at the last slit just above the fireplace.

The countdown toy is completed!

Need more fun gift-less advent calendar ideas?

I rounded up several great ideas to countdown to Christmas here. Share with me how you are counting down to Christmas this year!